


Trees

by SunflowerAro



Series: Familiar [8]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: A new character appears!, Angst, Choking, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Knuckles and Sonic finally bond!, Secrets, Violence, they are not nice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:20:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24909067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerAro/pseuds/SunflowerAro
Summary: With Knuckles' help, Sonic learns more about not only his own past, but the echidna's as well.
Series: Familiar [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1653865
Comments: 8
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

Amy hadn’t let him leave her sight for days after he had returned with Tails. The second her eyes latched onto the bandages covering his palms and the band aids over his elbows she had thrown a fit, demanding to know what had happened, dragging him into the couch while Tails watched on, amused. 

Regardless of how Sonic assured her he was fine, that it had only been a slight mishap on the world (not an uncommon occurrence, Tails had chipped in), he had found that Amy could be more persistent than Maddie when it came to her mothering. 

Naturally, that didn’t stop him and Tails from exploring the island behind her back. When she and Knuckles went out on a ‘confidential’ trip—one she had refused to let him attend, much to Sonic’s displeasure—he and Tails had trekked back to the orchard to devour the sweet fruits still clinging to the trees. With winter well on its way, the fruits would soon begin to fall; better to eat them while they still could.

Amy hadn’t found out, much to their relief. Her scolding felt much too similar to that of a mother’s. 

Due to Amy’s reluctance to let him out of her sight, Sonic’s collection of shards hadn’t grown in days; he was becoming desperate to learn something new about his past. 

“How about I take you up to the cliff?” Tails offered one evening, crossing his arms and leaning back into the couch in thought. 

Amy threw a pillow at him. “That’s _dangerous_.”

Tails huffed. “Just because it’s called a _throw pillow_ , doesn’t mean you need to take it so literally.” 

Amy only smirked at him from the floor, turning back to her and Sonic’s puzzle. 

“Do you think there will be a memory up there?” Sonic asked, sticking his tongue out as he compared a piece to one of the few gaps remaining.

Tails nodded eagerly. “Definitely. I can’t count how many times we would hang out up there.” 

Excitement sparked in Sonic’s chest like a rush of lightning and he turned to Tails with wide eyes at the mere prospect of another memory. 

Tails chuckled at his face, a grin pulling at his lips. “I know for a fact it’ll be a happy memory this time as well. You should see how beautiful it is up there, especially at sunset.” Tails sighed at the thought, looking out of the window longingly. 

Sonic gasped, curling his fingers in excitement—Amy chastised him for bending the jigsaw piece, plucking it from his fingers with a huff.

“When can we go?” He asked Tails, giving him his full attention and leaving the rest of the puzzle for Amy. “We’ll be careful,” he added when Amy shot him a glare. 

“Tomorrow, if you want?” Tails said, casting a glance outside. “It’s probably too late now, since it’s a few hour’s walk away.” 

Sonic sighed, but nodded. It wasn’t today, but it was still close. Tomorrow, he would be holding another piece of his fragmented memory.

“Actually.” They all looked up at the gruff voice of their fourth member—Sonic winced when he realised he had forgotten Knuckles had been there. The clatter the echidna had been making in the kitchen had long since faded into white noise. 

Knuckles shifted uneasily under their attention—or was it _his_ attention Knuckles disliked?

“I had an idea for somewhere I could take him. Tonight,” he added, looking outside uncertainly. 

Amy and Tails gasped excitedly, jumping up to crowd around Knuckles. 

“Where?” Amy asked, eyes sparkling with intrigue.

Knuckles chuckled at the two of them. “It’s a secret.” 

The two deflated, crossing their arms petulantly. 

“Aw, come on,” Tails whined.

Knuckles only shook his head. “Maybe another time I’ll show you guys.” He frowned suddenly, before shaking off any sign of unease. 

Sonic pursed his lips at the sight.

“Anyway, we should get going before it gets too late. It’s not far.” 

Regardless of Amy and Tails’ pouts, Knuckles drifted past them. He ducked into his room before reappearing with his cardigan clutched in one hand. Knuckles paused by the door, turning back to watch Sonic expectantly.

Sonic jumped up to follow him. He couldn’t hold a grudge against Knuckles for being an echidna—even if nerves fluttered in his stomach at the thought of being alone with him.

Amy placed a hand over his shoulder with a knowing look on her face. “He’s harmless. Promise.” 

Sonic frowned, tilting his head, but Knuckles waving for him to hurry tore him away from her piercing gaze before he could ask how she knew what had been ailing him.

He swore she could see right through him. 

Knuckles waited at the bottom of the steps for him, staring out at the still ocean. He had shrugged on his cardigan, hands stuffed into his pockets as he ran his fingers along the fabric in thought.

“Where are we going?” Sonic asked, dropping down the steps to stand by Knuckles’ side—he kept an arm’s width distance between them.

Knuckles jumped as he came back to himself, tearing his hands from his pockets and rubbing them together. He shot Sonic a sheepish grin. “It’s a place we built together. Come on, it’s not too far away.” 

Sonic huffed at the lack of an explanation—were they _all_ like this? Not secretive, but annoyingly cheeky enough to mess with him. Rolling his eyes in exasperation, he followed alongside Knuckles, drawing his jacket closer when a cool breeze swept by.

They walked along the beach, drifting closer and closer to the looming mountain curling above the shore. Sonic eyed off a worn trail leading away from the shore and presumably up the mountain, but Knuckles continued along the beach without sparing it a glance.

Sonic pursed his lips curiously, rushing to catch up when he lagged behind. Sand crunched beneath his shoes as the shadow of the cliff enveloped them, shrouding them in darkness. He looked up in awe at the underside of the cliff, stalactites above dripping water down around him—he shivered when one landed on his face, wrinkling his nose distastefully. Further from the sand, closer to the cliff’s base, stalagmites rose high like rows of teeth. Vibrantly coloured birds of red and blue sat atop them, preening. Several shot him and Knuckles curious looks as they passed by. 

A shiver ran down his spine as his eyes landed upon the area, unease settling into his gut. Sonic pursed his lips, rubbing his arms in an attempt to shake off the unwelcome sensation.

“We’re almost there,” Knuckles called out, drawing him back to the present. 

Sonic tore his gaze from the darkness, turning sheepishly back to Knuckles. “Cool. So, you think this place will hold a memory?” 

Knuckles nodded. “It will, I’m certain of it.” 

Sonic hummed, brows furrowing when Knuckles didn’t elaborate any further. 

They clambered over rocks as Knuckles led them closer to the face of the cliff, Sonic stumbling over the uneven earth and sending several birds scattering. 

“Here we are.” Knuckles spread his arms wide as they turned a corner. 

Sonic looked up as he passed the edge of the cliff, eyes widening. An alcove sat hidden away in the cliff, tucked neatly into its side like a child would their mother. Light clung to the space, pushing through gaps in the far wall with determination and setting the area awash with strips of gold. Dust mites drifted by lazily, but Sonic’s eyes latched onto the _towering_ tree situated in the centre of the space, its canopy brushing against the roof of the cavern. 

Narrowing his eyes, he noted it was a treehouse. Strips of wood fit together to create a platform over the expanse of the tree, a smaller cabin in the centre and a balcony overlooking the ocean spread out in front of it. 

“It’s our treehouse,” Knuckles said, shooting him a strained smile. 

Sonic could only nod in awe as familiarity tugged at his heartstrings. 

“Do the others know about this place?”

Knuckles shook his head. “It was our spot. We built it together as some sort of ‘secret clubhouse’.” 

Sonic snorted at his wording and Knuckles shot him a look. 

“ _You_ called it that.” 

Sonic sputtered, turning red. Of course, _he_ had given it such a name. “Doesn’t it have a better name?” He argued, trying to throw the attention off of himself. 

Knuckles snorted, rubbing his arm with a shake of his head. “Nah, we didn’t bother coming up with anything else. It kinda just…stuck.”

Naturally. 

“Let’s go, then,” Sonic said, urging Knuckles towards the treehouse. 

Sunlight washed over them in a warm glow as they stepped closer to the tree. Knuckles reached up as they neared its mighty bough, grasping onto strips of woods hammered down to act as ladder rungs. He climbed up easily, swinging himself up onto the platform in seconds, as though it were second nature. 

Sonic grabbed onto the first strip of wood, giving it a hesitant tug. For something so dark with age and wear, the piece of wood clung strongly. Reassured—because even if Knuckles had swung himself up carelessly, it never hurt to be careful—Sonic climbed up the ladder, losing his footing on the damp wood more than once. 

How had Knuckles made it look so easy? 

He hauled himself over the ledge and flopped down onto the platform, shooting Knuckles a glare when the echidna snorted at him. At least the wood here seemed sturdier, it’s polish gleaming in what remained of the sunlight as the sun sunk lower. 

Sonic sat up, taking in the area with wide eyes. Knuckles had to be taking care of it, if the sparkling wood was any indicator. Potted plants sat atop the railings of the balcony, screwed down so they couldn't be knocked off, their lush leaves spilling out over the edge. He turned to glance back at the square hut behind him, red rugs peeking out from the open doorway. If he squinted, he could make out the plush forms of pillows and haphazardly scattered comic books upon the floor. 

“We built this place together?” He asked, mouth agape in awe. 

Knuckles hummed his assent. “It took a couple of weeks and some weird looks from the others, but it was something for just the two of us.” 

Sonic’s lips pulled back into a soft smile and any unease he felt around the echidna drifted from his form like mist. 

“It’s pretty cool,” he admitted, standing and moving over to lean against the railing upon the balcony—sturdy, like the rest of the treehouse. He closed his eyes as a gentle ocean breeze caressed his cheeks, sighing in content. Like this, he could almost imagine himself and Knuckles chilling here many years ago. A place for just the two of them.

Sonic cringed when light slammed against his eyelids, turning slightly with a faint glare towards whatever had ruined his peace. Knuckles shot him a curious look, but Sonic only had eyes for the shard peeking out from a blanket in the hut, light reflecting off of its smooth surface and into his eyes. 

“That’s…” he breathed, stepping closer. 

Knuckles followed his gaze, a slight gasp leaving him when he noticed the shard. “I knew it,” he muttered to himself.

Sonic smiled faintly at his words, ducking inside the hut and kneeling by the piece of his memory. He wrapped the blanket over the shard, plucking it out reverently, like a baby swaddled within blankets. 

“I’m not sure how long this usually takes,” Sonic admitted, stepping back outside. Tails hadn’t mentioned how long he had been out of it, and Amy had drifted away while he watched the memory. Best to let Knuckles know lest he worry for no reason.

“A few minutes at least,” he added with a shrug. “I’ll just sit over here.” 

Knuckles nodded, offering him a faint smile before he drifted over to the balcony, resting his elbows on the railings as he stared out at the shimmering ocean. 

Sonic sat down, leaning against the outer walls of the hut and placing the shard in his lap. Carefully, he unravelled the blankets, letting them pool around his legs as he held the shard up higher, staring into its depths in anticipation. He rested his head against the wall, settling back as splotches danced across the edges of his vision. 

The world went black. 

_Darkness permeated his vision, separated only by the occasional winking of the stars above. Waves tumbled gently over the sand below him, the sound broken only by soft sobs._

_“Knuckles?” He heard himself say groggily._

_The sobbing stopped abruptly, replaced by heavy breaths._

_“Sonic?” The voice was still wet with tears and his heart splintered at the sound of it._

_Sonic turned back from the view to see his past-self sitting up in the hut, blankets gathering in his lap as he rubbed his eyes. Stepping closer, Sonic could make out the prone form of Knuckles curled up against the wall, knees drawn to his chest and a hand over his mouth in an attempt to stifle his sobs._

_His past-self jumped up with wide eyes, Sonic following him as they crept closer to Knuckles, who ducked his head in shame._

_“Hey, what happened?” They said together, voice gentle as the waves outside._

_Knuckles peeked out from behind his knees and Sonic found himself offering him a smile, mirroring his past-self’s actions even if he couldn’t be seen. A heavy sigh filled the air._

_“Nightmare,” Knuckles whispered, as though he was too afraid to speak any louder lest he shatter himself further._

_His past-self hummed, sitting down by Knuckles’ side and wrapping an arm around his shoulders without hesitation. Sonic smiled faintly when Knuckles leaned into the embrace, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. A warm weight settled into his own side as he sat in front of the two, ghost arms wrapped around his middle._

_His past-self waited patiently for Knuckles’ breathing to return to normal, for his form to stop shaking terribly._

_“Do you want to talk about it?”_

_Sonic frowned when the arms around him tightened, Knuckles’ brows furrowing, before he sighed._

_“Okay.”_

_Sonic waited with his past-self, turning to stare out of the small window cut into the wooden wall. The moon sunk low into the ocean; dawn would be upon them soon._

_“I dreamt about before,” Knuckles said, voice so soft Sonic almost missed his words._

_An uneasiness settled into his gut at the words, the feeling not his own, as his past-self bit his lip harshly. Instead of speaking, he only nodded, urging Knuckles to continue._

_“It was before the execution date had been set,” Knuckles murmured, and Sonic felt a shiver run up his spine._

_The_ what _?_

_His past-self hummed worriedly._

_“My parents were there,” Knuckles began. “They kept reminding me of how much they_ hated _me, of how much of a disappointment I was in their eyes. I just wanted to make them proud, but I couldn’t be like them.”_

_His past-self held Knuckles closer as the echidna sobbed softly, whispering soft reassurances even as his brows creased in worry. Sonic could feel the pull in his own eyebrows._

_“Why couldn’t I be like them?” Knuckles asked, voice breaking as he ducked his head into his past-self’s shoulder._

_“Sometimes in life, we have to make our own path,” his past-self began, eyes glistening with unshed tears of his own._

_Sonic sniffled._

_“I’m glad you chose this path, Knuckles, even if your family didn’t agree with it. And, I’m glad I get to be friends with such an amazing person.”_

_Knuckles’ breath hitched and his past-self began rubbing his back comfortingly._

_“Everyone on that island used to hate me,” Knuckles admitted once his breathing had settled. “My parents would kick me outside for days when I didn’t perform well enough for them, if I refused to kill…” Knuckles took in a shaky breath, taking a moment to compose himself. “When the village declared my execution, my parents threw a party.” His face crumpled at the admission._

_His past-self hushed Knuckles, shaking his head. “Then they didn’t deserve you.”_

_Knuckles sniffled. “Thanks, Sonic. It’s just hard to get their words out of my head sometimes. I know it’s been years, but I can’t forget it.”_

_“That’s okay,” his past-self assured him. “We’ll always be here to catch you when you fall. Besides, we all like the person you’ve become, even if you_ can _keep us up at night with all your stomping around.”_

_Knuckles snorted abruptly, laughter erupting from his throat. He leaned back as it bellowed out from his chest, both Sonic and his past-self smiling at the slight achievement. Knuckles let out a light sigh, fixing his past-self with a smile._

_“Thanks again. It’s always been easier to talk to you than the others.”_

_His past-self smiled, patting Knuckles on the shoulder and letting out a yawn. “Of course. That’s what friends are for, right?”_

_As the darkness filled Sonic’s vision once more, he caught one last glimpse of a bright smile from Knuckles._

Sonic blinked away the darkness, shaking his head. Wetness trickled down his face and he drew in a shaky breath, raising a hand to gently press against the tears falling down his face. 

Tails had mentioned that he had brought Knuckles back to the island one day, but he hadn’t mentioned _this_. 

“Sonic?” 

He looked up into Knuckles’ curious eyes, the echidna pushing off of the railing to move even closer.

“Are you okay?” Knuckles asked, reaching out hesitantly, his hand halting, hovering in the air before it could reach Sonic’s shoulder. He clenched his fingers, pulling his hand back to his side with a look of defeat. 

Something twisted in his heart, an old sensation bursting back to life as part of his memory was restored. It nagged at him, demanding he go over and wipe that horrid look from the echidna’s face, because Knuckles should never have to feel that way ever again, should never have to apologise for being gentle. 

Sonic jumped to his feet, striding forward and wrapping his arms around Knuckles before he could turn back to face him, eyes wide.

“Sonic?” Knuckles squeaked, his arms held out, still hesitating to touch him. 

“It’s okay,” Sonic assured him, squeezing him tighter until Knuckles finally returned the embrace, resting his hands over Sonic’s shoulders and closing his eyes, a shaky breath escaping him. 

“That memory,” he began, because how could he get into _that_? 

“It was one of the nightmares, wasn’t it?” Knuckles asked, as though he had been expecting such a thing. 

Sonic nodded slightly and Knuckles sighed heavily, as though he had been expecting the memory. “I’d get a lot of nightmares back then, and we’d camp out her quite often to help. It felt closer to home than the cabin had, back then, but it was kinder than my original home had ever been. It helped a lot, I guess.” Knuckles shrugged. 

“Your past was horrible to you,” Sonic said, lips thinning as he thought back to Knuckles’ words in the memory; he doubted that was the end of it. He dreaded what else the horrid people had done to Knuckles. “Was that’s why you were avoiding me?”

Knuckles stiffened instantly and Sonic grimaced, preparing to rewind drastically before Knuckles could shrink back into himself, before he could hide away once more when Knuckles sighed.

“It’s not that. I...” 

Sonic frowned, tilting his head back at Knuckles’ silence. He inhaled sharply when he noticed the tears in Knuckles’ eyes, reaching up to gently brush them away and offering him a warm smile.

“Hey, it’s okay. You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to.” 

Knuckles smiled faintly at that. “Thanks,” he said with a sniffle, but he still looked down in thought.

When Knuckles didn’t add anything, Sonic pulled back. “We should head home before it gets too late. You know how much Amy worries.”

Knuckles snorted, mirth sparkling in his eyes and replacing the tears. “You don’t know the half of it. She’s our friend, but I swear she acts more like our mother. Tails will deny it, but he can be just as bad.”

Sonic rolled his eyes, a smile dancing across his lips. “Amy, I get, but Tails too?”

Knuckles hummed in assent. “He acts like a child up until something bad happens, or if he sees you’re down, then he becomes a mother hen.”

Sonic made a face at that, because Amy was bad enough as it was.

Knuckles nodded in agreement. “It can be pretty annoying, but that’s why they’re such good friends: they care.” 

Sonic smiled faintly at that, Knuckles’ words pulling at an unknown memory. He huffed when he couldn’t latch onto it, the sensation fading, but let it slide. They needed to get home.

“Come on,” Sonic said, ushering Knuckles towards the ladder. “I’m sure your soup will be finished by the time we’re back.” 

Knuckles drew his cardigan closer as a cool breeze rolled by. “It’s a stew, actually, and it’s got another hour,” he said, climbing down the ladder regardless. 

Sonic dropped down to his side, offering Knuckles a grin before they began the trek home. 


	2. Retrograde

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Knuckles has more to say, and even more to reveal.

Sonic hummed to himself as he and Knuckles walked. Moonlight trickled down onto the earth, casting a pale glow upon the yellow sand crunching beneath his shoes and turning the still ocean beside him silver. 

Reaching up, he clasped his hands together behind his head, leaning into them and closing his eyes as a cool ocean breeze ruffled through his fur and pushed at his jacket. It couldn’t disperse the warmth buzzing through his chest however, his hands and feet tingling with the energy. He _finally_ had something from Knuckles. A reason to trust the echidna had graced him after so long of the two dancing around each other and he couldn’t be more content. 

The awkward, nervous air around them had faded, as had the tension in Sonic at each glance at the echidna. Knuckles was nothing like the rest of his clan, nothing like those who had hunted him down, who had…

He pushed aside any thoughts of Longclaw. Not now.

Turning his attention back to the land before him, Sonic could make out the faint wisps of smoke pouring from the cabin chimney, the grey swirls illuminated by the moon. If he squinted, he could make out the shadow of the chimney against the horizon, black against the deep purple sky. 

The crunching sand from behind him stopped abruptly and Sonic turned back to Knuckles, raising an eyebrow quizzically. The echidna had his head turned down, chin to his chest as he fingered something in his pocket.

“Knuckles?”

Sonic frowned as Knuckles’ shoulders rose and he turned away slightly, lips thin. Stepping closer, Sonic placed a hesitant hand over Knuckles’ arm, smiling softly when he relaxed under the touch. 

“What’s wrong?”

Knuckles slowly raised his head and Sonic gasped at the tears sparkling in his eyes, reaching down to take his hand into his own. 

“Hey, what happened?” He asked, squeezing Knuckles’ hand to assure him he wouldn’t judge, that he would always be there for him.

Knuckles let out a heavy sigh, cringing when his breath hitched slightly. With his free hand, he brought something from his pocket. 

“I…you need to have this,” he said, looking away from Sonic’s eyes as he passed the item over.

A mirror shard, barely the size of his palm, was placed into Sonic’s hand and he couldn’t help the slight gasp escaping his lips.  
“Where did you get this?” he asked, turning over the shard, wary of its jagged edges. Why was this one significantly smaller than the rest, with edges determined to prick his fingers?

“I collected it after you and Tails found the first shard,” Knuckles admitted, rubbing his arm and looking away in shame. “I knew _this_ memory would be here.”

Sonic narrowed his eyes, but he couldn’t bring himself to snap at Knuckles, could hardly bring himself to feel even the slightest flicker of flames in his chest when Knuckles looked so downtrodden at the admission. 

Sonic dropped the shard in his pocket, reaching up to grasp Knuckles’ shoulders; his friends came first. He frowned when Knuckles flinched under his touch—no, he was _shaking_. 

“Talk to me,” Sonic said softly, stepping closer, wary of upsetting his friend further. 

Knuckles sniffed and shook his head. “You need to watch the memory first. It’ll explain…everything.”

“Knuckles, you’re hurting. You come first.” Sonic tried.

Knuckles shook his head again, reaching out to take the shard from Sonic’s pocket and grimacing when Sonic moved back. “Trust me, you _have_ to watch it first. I can’t—” Knuckles pressed his lips together, turning to Sonic with desperation glimmering in his eyes. 

Sonic bit his lip, but Knuckles looked away, wiping at his eyes and saying no more. His soul screamed that he comfort his friend, a burning deep within that he couldn't ignore urging him to abolish whatever ailed Knuckles so. But, if Knuckles refused to speak until he saw the memory, then he could do nothing for him now. It had to hold some sort of significance, if Knuckles’ reaction was anything to go by.

“Okay,” he relented, stepping back and allowing Knuckles to drop to the sand and curl up, burying his face in his hands.

Sonic pursed his lips at the sight, but plucked out the shard. The sooner he watched it, the sooner Knuckles would talk to him—the sooner he could comfort him.

Sonic sat down, leaning into Knuckles’ side to offer silent support as he held the shard up to his face. In comparison to the grime on the others, slight as it may have been, this one was spotless—whether it had come that way, or been cleaned by Knuckles, Sonic wasn’t sure. 

He placed his hand over the smooth glass, running his fingers along it and shivering as ice trickled through his glove and up his arm. As the darkness enveloped his vision with welcoming arms, Sonic cast one last worried glance at Knuckles. Black covered his eyes before he could see the echidna.

_Opening his eyes, Sonic found himself back on the beach. The cliff reached out above him, an arm stretching towards the glittering ocean and covering him in a deep shadow._

_His past-self was a few metres away, drifting along the beach with vacant eyes, biting his lip in thought. Knuckles walked beside him. His arms were wrapped tightly around himself, his gaze fixated on the water alongside them. From within, Sonic could feel that the echidna was okay, only shaken up after another nightmare; he needed a little time._

_Knuckles sniffled slightly and his past-self frowned deeply, shifting closer to wrap an arm around the echidna. Knuckles smiled faintly, leaning into the comfort with ease._

_“Thanks, Sonic,” his breath whistled against Sonic’s own ear and he flinched in discomfort._

_His past-self grinned, squeezing Knuckles slightly. “It’ll get better. I promise.”_

_Knuckles sighed softly, but the smile remained on his lips. He took in a deep breath when a piercing noise rang out across the beach, forcing all three of them into their knees, hands over their ears and eyes narrowed in pain._

_“What is that?” His past-self shouted, shuffling closer to Knuckles—a fierce wave of protectiveness filled Sonic’s own veins, burning hotter than lava and brighter than the sun._

_“Look!” Knuckles stretched out his arm, cringing in pain as one of his ears was uncovered._

_Sonic followed his gesture, eyes widening as they landed upon a portal laid out before him above the sand. Its depths were a deep, murky brown, thick and roiling like mud. Fear slipped into his soul, twisting in his stomach and sending a shiver up his spine._

_It wasn’t a ring portal._

_The sound ended as soon as it came, leaving them with only a ringing in their ears and the dark portal before them. His past-self smacked at his ears, trying to rid them of the ringing. Sonic sighed in relief as it faded down to a bearable hum._

_“What’s going on?” Knuckles asked, his voice but a whisper in Sonic’s ear._

_Glancing at him, Sonic frowned at the fear sparkling in Knuckles’ eyes like shards, his pupils dilated and mouth slightly open as he stared at the portal in anticipation._

_His past-self was quick to react, shoving down his own unease and placing a hand over Knuckles’ shoulder, edging forward so he sat in front of him._

_An odd, sucking noise filled the air and Sonic recoiled, shivering in distaste. He turned back to the portal, eyes widening when a cloaked figure stepped out from it._

_Most of their form was shrouded in shadows by a long cloak, a hood pulled up to cover their eyes. It had been caught on something protruding from their skull, leaving the hood only covering half of their face, a pink, twitchy nose and freckled fur upon a white muzzle all that Sonic could make out. Their feet were bare, paws pressing into the sand. Their colours mingled, too alike for Sonic to differentiate between fur and sand._

_The figure turned to face his past-self and a shiver ran up Sonic’s spine, limbs freezing in place as the icy-blue eyes pierced his past-self’s eyes. A fleck of white, teeth glinting as the figure raised their arm, fingers spread. They closed their palm and Sonic let out a choked yelp as his breath was torn from his throat. He took in gasping breaths, the air scarcely able to kiss his lungs before it was ripped out once more._

_“Stop!” Knuckles shouted, a fiery determination filling his eyes, replacing the icy terror from moments ago._

_The figure tilted their head, before shrugging. In a swift motion, they swept its arm to the side; Sonic watched in horror as his past-self’s body was thrown like a rag doll, crashing into the cliff side with a sickening crack. Agony erupted up his spine, flames licking at his back and sending him staggering forward to his knees with a yell, the faint hisses pouring from his mouth both his own and from his past-self. His world tilted, vision darkening with spots. These weren’t the ones from the shards: his past-self was losing consciousness._

_‘_ Open your eyes! _’ He thought, desperately willing his past-self to help him put together the final pieces. He needed to know._

_The hooded figure stepped closer to Knuckles, who raised his fists in retaliation. He thrust forward, stumbling when his fist went through thin air. Knuckles whipped around to scowl at the figure now standing beside him, a smirk playing upon their lips, whiskers twitching in amusement._

_Their face darkened and they reached out, grabbing Knuckles by the throat._

_“This is all you rotten echidnas deserve. I will take away your everything and leave you with nothing.”_

_Knuckles’ eyes widened and he scrambled for purchase against their arm, lips turning blue even with the scowl upon his face. His eyes betrayed him, fear lacing them like poison._

_The figure scoffed, not caring for the scratches lining their arms and squeezing even tighter. Knuckles’ form went limp, his eyes slipping shut and his arms dropping down to his sides like a ragdoll._

_“Pathetic creatures.”_

_They dropped Knuckles, shaking their head as he crumbled on the ground, his form still._

_Sonic watched as the figure stepped closer to his own body, dread forming a pit in his stomach. They slung his body over their shoulder with ease, casting a smirk back at Knuckles before they drifted back through the portal, the world fading to black before Sonic could follow them._

The transition back to the present was jarring, his soul thrown back into his body without an ounce of remorse, leaving him gasping for air with a hand over his aching chest. A hand on his back grounded him, its warm weight keeping him from falling back into his mind. 

“Sonic?” A hesitant voice asked from his side. Sonic turned to face Knuckles, the tears in his friend’s eyes mirroring his own. 

His mind caught up with him.

“Knuckles!” he breathed, tears spilling from his eyes of their own volition. 

“You saw?” Knuckles asked, voice but a whisper.

Sonic nodded jerkily, lips thinning when Knuckles’ own tears began to spill and he looked away. “Knuckles…what was that?”

“That was the last time I saw you. Two years ago.”

“I was gone for two years?” Sonic’s eyes widened. Tails had mentioned he had been searching for a while, but _two years?_

Had he really been living on this island only two years ago?

Knuckles nodded. “I came to about an hour later and couldn’t find you or the other person…”

“Did Tails or Amy see them?” Surely, the two couldn’t have missed the noise, nor the murky portal rising high into the air. 

Knuckles looked down, shaking his head slightly. “They…don’t know.” 

Sonic froze. _They didn’t know._

“You didn’t tell them?” He kept his voice soft, kept any accusations away from his tongue. Knuckles looked as fragile as glass, and Sonic knew if he were to lash out, he would shatter. 

“When I woke up, I didn’t know what to do. You’d been taken away, probably killed, and it was my fault. I couldn’t even protect you.” 

Sonic narrowed his eyes, shifting so he faced Knuckles. “It was not your fault,” he said, voice unwavering. 

Knuckles looked up in shock, eyes wide. “But, they wouldn’t have attacked you if it wasn’t for me.”

Sonic shook his head adamantly, eyes locked onto Knuckles’. “It’s not your fault they had some sort of prejudice against echidnas. It was _not_ your fault, okay?” 

Knuckles blinked, before tears rapidly filled his eyes. Sonic was quick to draw him into and embrace, holding him as close as possible. Knuckles whimpered, wrapping his arms around Sonic and squeezing—Sonic grimaced at how _tightly_ he did so, at how his ribs creaked and groaned in protest, but he refused to move: Knuckles needed this. 

Two whole years he had suffered alone. Sonic couldn’t begin to imagine how hard it must have been on him without any support, especially if he had blamed himself for the situation. He set about rubbing Knuckles’ back, hushing him when he tried to apologise once more. 

“Why didn’t you tell Amy and Tails?” Sonic asked once Knuckles had settled down. “They could have helped.” 

Knuckles shook his head slightly. “I couldn’t. What if they agreed that it was my fault? I couldn’t lose all of my friends…” 

Sonic’s heart ached deeply at his words, tears pricking at his eyes.

“They would never leave you, Knuckles. I still don’t remember much, but I know they care too much about you, I can see it.”

Knuckles sniffled at his words. “I know that now, but I still couldn’t tell them. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t tell you, though. You deserved to know. I went out searching for this piece as soon as I learned of the fragments because _I_ had to be the one to give it to you.” 

Sonic hummed in thought. “I’m glad I know, now. I hate that you suffered for so long by yourself. We need to tell the others, though.”

Knuckles stiffened in Sonic’s arms. “I—I can’t. They’ll hate me.”

Sonic shook his head quickly. “They won’t, trust me. They might be upset, but it’s because they care about you, okay?” 

Knuckles said nothing, his shaky breaths the only sound filling the air.

Sonic sighed. “They need to know if we’re going to find this person.”

Knuckles pulled back to look at him, eyes wide as saucers. “What?”

“You _do_ want to get revenge, right?”

Knuckles nodded. “Of course, but what if they take you away again? What if they take Amy and Tails?” 

Sonic smiled faintly. “We won’t let that happen. But, we need to find them before they find us again. It’s the only way for us to stay safe here.” 

Knuckles sighed, but nodded his assent. “Okay. You’re sure they won’t…?”

“They won’t hate you. I promise,” Sonic said, pulling Knuckles close once more. 

Knuckles smiled into his shoulder. 

“Are you ready?” Sonic asked, resting his chin over Knuckles’ shoulder. 

“Can we wait just a little longer?” Knuckles asked hesitantly, his arms tightening their hold ever so slightly.

Sonic smiled. “As long as you need.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh...sorry?  
> Hope you all enjoyed regardless of the angst. I'll see everyone next time!  
> Stay safe <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I had to bring out some of Knuckles' backstory at some point, so why not through a memory, right?   
> Let me know what you thought and stay safe! <3


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